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I pause today in our journey to recognize the beginning of ‘National Teen Driver Safety Week’, October 18-24, 2009.Prior to losing Brian, I lived in a state of ignorant bliss; I did not know motor vehicle injuries are the number one cause of death of teens in our country…

The issue of distracted driving is obviously very close to my heart…I have spent the last five months telling Brian’s story to anyone willing to listen, and giving away ‘Remember Brian 06-12-08’ bracelets, ever hopeful of convincing someone new to hang up and drive.This behavior is a tremendous problem in drivers of all ages…

It is also important to recognize less obvious hazards: additional passengers; eating behind the wheel; even changing radio stations can compromise teenage driving abilities.The Century Council has designed an interactive game, ‘The Concentration Game’, to illustrate these points:

And of course, there are the other poor judgment issues we are all guilty of: our need to speed, seatbelt usage, tailgating / following too closely, fatigue / sleep deprivation, night driving and road rage…I wonder how many times Brian observed me ‘successfully’ doing any / all of these things over the years; did my example foster overconfidence as he struck out on his own?I’ll never know…

Tomorrow is Grace’s 17th birthday; she is eligible for her solo license in January.Will we allow her to test for it then?Maybe, maybe not…As you can imagine, I have worn her out talking nonstop about potential problems and situations.When she passed the permit test, I pledged to be a better driving example for her: my phone is off, my seatbelt is on, the music is down, and the speed limit is adhered to…Grace knows (and often resents, I might add) I stand in the way of her driving independently.Bottom line: I am not declaring her competent because the law says its okay after a specific date and certain skills have been demonstrated to the state’s satisfaction.Yes, she completed the requisite class and the allotted amount of time will have passed, but those facts alone do not mean she will be mature enough to handle the responsibility and privilege of driving. While it is true this rite of passage is incredibly difficult for us, we aren’t holding her back because of Brian.We are treating her exactly the same way; he had to wait until we all agreed.She does too…

Today, I am asking you to stop and consider what distracts you; commit to eliminating at least one of them.Children, no matter what age, are always watching us.Start now; talk to them about the dangers and the difficulties of driving, what to do and not to do.Practice with them, and then practice some more.Lastly, don’t permit your teen to drive solo until you believe they are ready; they will surely be angry, but at least they will be alive.